Lately I have been drinking this red tea, called Rooibos. I read a lot of good things about it for UC. Anyone else feel that they got some improvement from drinking it? Am I just desperate to believe in alternative remedies? I do not want to be on prednisone again.

Hi..It gives me pains in my throat and I cough after I drink it...so, I'm suspecting I'm allergic to it..so it's off my list.. I don't mind the taste, however.

Yes, the benefits are endless aren't they?

What other meds have you been on....pred isn't the only one and you don't have to take it if you don't want to. Other meds should be exhausted....such as 5-ASA oral and rectal (asacol, pentasa, colazal, lialda, salofalk, rowasa, canasa.....), or the steroid topical oral and rectal (entocort, cortifoam, proctofoam, colocort..etc).

I will know my proper 'regimen' once I've done my colonoscopy. I had a bad flare and had fever for two weeks; it was miserable. Previously my GP had prescribed suppositories and enemas but she has now sent me off to see a gastroenterologist because to be honest, I don't think she knew what she was doing and finally felt out of her depth before referring me. Sorry to hear the rooibos made you gag like that! I drink it anyway cos it soothes my stomach; not sure if it is having a positive effect on my UC or not...

My husband drank a lot of lemon rooibos Good Earth tea when he had radiation and chemo or lung cancer. Made a big difference in how he felt. Now we can't find the lemon and he does not like any other flavor. He is drinking other herbal teas in lemon.

They have stores all over the place as well. I live near Chicago, I go to one at Woodfield mall. I find all tea helps me feel better. I drink tons of peppermint!Kelly, 30, suburbs of Chicago, IL

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07Currently on 4x3 Asacol, no more pred after two years!!!! Off imuran as remicade is working!Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran 8mg every six hours for nauseaRemicade started 3/1/08...just had 4th infusion

Tookie said...Lately I have been drinking this red tea, called Rooibos. I read a lot of good things about it for UC. Anyone else feel that they got some improvement from drinking it? Am I just desperate to believe in alternative remedies? I do not want to be on prednisone again.

Hi Tookie

I am from Cape Town, South Africa where rooibos is grown and exported. I have been drinking this tea since I was a little boy and I am sorry but I find no medicinal value from this tea. The makers of this tea are claiming this as a miracle tea but to date no scientific research was done on rooibos. It tastes good though.

The tea is not really red but it has a dull greenish brown colour very much like dish water and so the makers have added and artificial red colourant to make it more appertising.

The only tea I have found beneficial to UC are chamomile and cinnamon tea.

I don't know if all the claims about Rooibos are true (I am not sure if it has had an effect on my UC the way fish oil has) but I'm pretty sure it soothes my stomach! I read that the red colour of rooibos comes from fermenting the green leaves, and that it's available in both green and red. I really like vanilla flavour - I promise it doesn't taste like dishwater :) I find it a soothing treat. I like herbal tea a lot and enjoy chamomile and mint also. Have you tried licorice tea? I've read good things about that and just got a licorice/mint blend that's quite tasty!

I drink Rooibos (red tea) quite a bit. Rooibos does not come from the same plant as regular tea (black, green, or white--Camellia Sinensis) but from the African "red bush" which is in the legume family. So technically it isn't tea, nor a herbal tea, but in a league of its own. But it does supposedly possess some of the same health benefits of green tea. I don't drink tea for anything related to UC, but more just because I like it and I don't drink coffee. I drink mostly green or white tea.UC diagnosed Dec. 2006Azathioprine 200mg/day Multivitamin, fish oil, fiber supplement, Nature's Way Primadophilus Optima, Digestive Advantage Crohn's & Colitis